News, opinions, commentary, history and a little creative writing from a proud African-American transwoman about the world around her.

Saturday, February 02, 2013

NFL Referee Jerome Boger Making Black History

When NFL referee Jerome Boger steps onto the playing field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for Super Bowl XLVII, tomorrow, he will be making a little Black history when he does so.

Boger, who has been an NFL official since 2004 and was promoted to referee in 2006, will become only the second African-American to have the honor of being a Super Bowl referee.

Boger is the third African-American to become an NFL referee. Johnny Grier broke the referee color line in 1988. Mike Carey became the second Black NFL referee when he was promoted in 1995 in the wake of the additions of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars to the league creating the need for another officiating crew.

The officials at the Super Bowl are chosen on merit, with the highest
ranked at each position on the officiating crew getting the assignment.
The other criteria for their selection is they must have five years of
NFL officiating experience and previous playoff assignments.

Boger has officiated four playoff games this postseason and finished the 2012 season as the league's number one ranked referee, but the vanilla ice flavored Hateraid started flowing once the NFL announced the Conyers, GA resident and former Morehouse College starting quarterback got this coveted assignment.

This will be Boger's first time he has done so as the referee in a Super Bowl, but it is only the only the second time an African-American will have become a Super Bowl referee.

Yep, that was the one in which the New England Patriots dream of an undefeated season died in a monumental 17-14 upset loss to the New York Giants.

Congratulations to Jerome Boger for making that history. To all the vanillacentric privileged haters whose white sheets are showing over his selection, frack y'all. I didn't hear any of you complaining about the fact there were a total of 15 NFL head coaching and GM openings in this offseason and ALL of them went to white males.

That was especially galling to African-Americans n the wake of former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith being fired despite the team compiling a 10-6 record.

For the fans of the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, they hope that this is the only time the referee gets more press coverage than the teams involved in the NFL title game.

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About The TransGriot

Monica Roberts, AKA the TransGriot (Gree-oh) is a native Houstonian, GLAAD award nominated blogger, writer, and award winning trans human rights advocate. She's the founding editor of TransGriot, and her writing has appeared at the Bilerico Project, Ebony.com, The Huffington Post and the Advocate.
She works to foster understanding and acceptance of trans people inside and outside communities of color and was recently honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award

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The TransGriot blog's mission is to become the griot of our community. I will introduce you to and talk about your African descended trans brothers and trans sisters across the Diaspora, reclaim and document our chocolate flavored trans history, speak truth to power, comment on the things that impact our trans community from an Afrocentric perspective and enlighten you about the general things that go on around me and in the communities that I am a member of.

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